Focusing lamp-socket.



G. C. KNAUFF.

'FOCUSING LAMP SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30. 19,14.

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enonenc. KNAU'FF, or cmcaco, rumors. Focusme nem' socxnr.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 30, 1914. Serial No. 874,752. b

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, (see c. mam, cit zen of the United States, residing at Ofh1cago, in the county of Cook and State- 5 0 Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Focusing Sockets; and I do hereby declare the following to a .full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable ich it appertains to make and use the same; a

My invention relates to'lamp sockets and reflectors and more particularly to means for adjusting the position of a lamp with reflector associated with the curately into the focus of the reflector. In devices of this class, it has been customary heretofore to mount the socket proper slidzo ablywith respect to the reflector, and to provide means for maintaining the movable socket portion interlocked at a'number of diiferent points spaced longitudinally of thereflector. Such an arrangement is shown, for example, in my copending application No. 856,1?2 for a patent on focusing sockets, in which the lamp maybe interlocked with respect to thesocket in any one of a number of positions defined by suc- 3o cessive notches or grooves on the casing within which the.socket proper may be sli back and forth. In practice, the spacing between successive grooves, when such grooves are made of suflicient depth to af- Lampsocket proper, this casing afford a very limited movement upon a sudden thrust such as that involved in the inserting or removing of a lamp from the socket.

Qther objects will appear from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings in which igure 1 isa fragmentary view of a reflector equipped with a socket embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through Fig. 1 along the line 2 2. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the outer casing of the socket within which the socket proper is slidably mounted. Fig. 4 is an en- Iarged perspective view of the clamp piece of Figs. 1 and 2. to Fig. 2, showing another embodiment of my invention. 7 I

In YFig. 1, the lamp 1 is housed by the reflector 2 equippedwith a substantially tubular extension in the form of a shell 3 having a flange 4 whereby the said shell is secured to the inner end of the reflector. Slidably mounted within theshell 3 is a cylindrical tube 5 forming the casing of the being equipped at lts forward end with bayonet slots 6 engaging lateral projections 7 upon the base of the lamp. Rigidly mounted within the casing 5 is an insulating body 8 carrying wire terminals 9 which are connected by spring-pressed contacts to the terminals of the lamp after the manner well known to those familiar with sockets for automobile- Fig. 5 is a section similar a Patented net. as, rare. 7

' ge 0t adjustment, but which will pnly ford a firm interlocking, is -many times greater than the amount of movement which may be desired for the accurate focusing of the luminous lamp-filament. However, unless'means are provided for a firm inter- 40 locking of the movable socket portion with respect to the reflector, the adjustmentwill be seriously disarranged by the thrust of in-' sorting a lamp into the socket, this being particularly true when the socket is equipped with the usual spring-pressed contacts which maintain projections on the lamp base interlocked with bayonet catches upon the casing of the socket. v The main object of my "invention is to provide a construction which will enable the movable socket portion to be interlocked at innumerable diflerent points with respect to the reflector,and which will readily permit a movement throughout the entire lamps. Projecting laterally from the insulating body 8 intermediate to its ends is a shank 10 which extends through the slot 11 disposed longitudinally of the casing 3 and considerably wider than the diameter of the .said shank 10. Loosely mounted upon the said shank 10 is a clamp piece 12, preferably curved to conform to the outer surface of the casing 3 and continuously pressed against the latter by a spring 22, the tension of ;which spring may be ad usted by turning a nut 13 threaded upon the outer end of the shank 10.

It will be evident from Fag. 2 that w 1th the spring-pressed clamp p ece 12 hearing against the outer surface of the casing 3 and 106 carried by a shank whlch extends through the long slot 11 in said shell, the pressure of spring 22 will cause the inner casing 5 of the socket to be drawn firmly against the portion of the shell 3 adjacent to said clamp. 11c

Consequently, the movable socket and the lamp carried thereby will readily be maintained'at any desired position within the range of adjustment afforded by the movement of the shank 10 within the slot 11. However, it will also be evident that any considerable thrust upon the lamp in a direction longitudinal of the axis of'the socket will alter this adjustment and might easily slide the socket portion to one or the other extreme position. To avoid 'such an action, I equip the clamp piece 1'2'and the shell 3 with auxiliary interlocking means which will restrict such a relative movement in a direction purely longitudinal of the socket to a quite small distance, but which will permit a longer movement upon a special mania; ulation of the movable socket portion wi respect to the reflector. For this purpose, I preferably equip the casing 3 with a zigzag l-slot 14 disposed substantially parallel to the slot 11, and equip the clamp piece 12 with a pin or projection 15 extending radially inward of the socket and continuously housed by the said slot 14. The latter slot is preferably made somewhat wider at all points than the diameter of the pin 15 (the latter being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3) so that the pin 15may be moved quite freely within the said slot 14 upon a combined longitudinal and rotationally oscillating movement of the clamp piece 12 with respect to the casing 3, which movement can readily be effected by manually manipulating the bulb of the lamp 1. Consequently, the auxiliary zigzag slot will not interfere with the accurate adjustment of the socket to afford the desired focusing, although the zigzag formation will afford a series ofvwalls spaced longitudinally of the socket and adapted to engage'the pin 15 upon a thrust in a direction longitudinal of the socket so as to limit the amount of movement afforded by such a thrust. My construction, there fore, will always limit any possible disarrangement of the adjustment to a quite small amount, after which the needed delicate adjustment can readily be made by manipulating the movable part of the socket.

While I have shown and described my invention as embodied in a form of socket having parallel main and auxiliary slots upon the outer casing and as having a clamp piece carried by a shank and continuously pressed by an adjustable spring, I do not wish to be limited to such details, as it will be obvious that the construction might be modified in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, Fig. 5 shows a construction in which the clamp piece 12slides upon a screw 13 carried by the insulating body 8, which screw projects through the zigzag slot 14 and also carries a curved spring 16 passing around almost the entire circumference of the shell 3. In this case, the slot 11 may be'omi'tted entirely as the entire action will be secured with a single zigzag slot which will afford a series of stops for the screw 13.

I claim as my invention:

1. A focusing socket for a lamp, including as one member a casing, as another member a body carrying said lamp and slidable in said casing: and interfitting means carried' respectively by the said members, the portion of-said means carried by one of said members aifording a series of stops spaced longitudinally of the casing for limiting the relative movement of the said members in a direction longitudinal of the casingmember the said means being releasable from each of their said stops upon a partial rotation of the body with respect to the casing.

2. A focusing socket for a lamp, includlamp and slidable in the casing, the casing being equipped with a slot having a plurality of zigzag portions extending substantially longitudinally of the casing: and a projection carried by said body member and extending into said slot, the width of said slot being so proportioned with respect to the size of the projection that the said slot will compel the body member to be oscillated about its axis with respect to the casing in affording a movement of the said body member in a direction substantially longitudinally of the casing.

4. A focusing socket for a lamp, including a casing, a body member carryingthe lamp and slidable inthe casing, means asso ciated with said members for maintaining the same interlocked at any point of their said relative sliding relation, and auxiliary means associated with said members and in cluding interengaging means carried respectively by said members and affording a series of positive stops for interlocking said body member and casing in a number of relative positions spaced substantially longitudinally of the said casing, the said auxiliary means being releasable from each of the said stops upon a partial rotation of the body member with respect to the casing;

5. A focusing socket for a lamp, including a casing having a zigzag slot extending.

substantially longitudinally thereof, a body member slidable in the casing and carrying the lamp, a spring-pressedclamp carried by 1,178,280 are tions affording stops spaced longitudinally 10- of the casing to limit the'inovenieno of the body member with respect to the easing by pressure longitudinally of the casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE C. KNAUFF.

Witnesses:

. ALBERT SGHEIBLE,

M; M. BOYLE. 

